


Things You Don't Know

by Cinnamon1895



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Character Study, Child Abuse, Extended Scene, Scene Rewrite, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-18
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-13 18:07:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2160078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinnamon1895/pseuds/Cinnamon1895
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A rewrite of the scene in OOTP where Molly Weasley encounters a boggart. Character study of Severus Snape</p>
            </blockquote>





	Things You Don't Know

**Author's Note:**

> **Trigger Warning** Child Abuse

Harry took a swig from his butterbeer, watching the gathering happily. He really was quite happy that Ron and Hermione had been chosen as prefects, whatever stupid jealousy he had been feelings was shoved aside. However, his happiness was temporarily interrupted when a new voice sounded from behind:

“Potter, where is Mrs. Weasley?” Snape growled, startling Harry and making him jump, slopping his butterbeer down the front of his sweater.

“In the, uh,  drawing room, why?” he asked, wiping at the front of his sweater. Snape sneered,

“That is hardly any of your -”

Snape was cut off by a loud shriek coming from the adjacent room. Both wizards jumped in surprise. Harry pushed past the Potions master to find the source of the noise, the drawing room. Mrs. Weasley was there, her wand limp at her side. Sprawled on the dusty floor, covered in blood, was a very clearly dead Ron. Harry felt as if he had been punched in the stomach, all air left his lungs and he felt suddenly lightheaded. No, no not Ron, it couldn’t be…

But wait. It couldn’t be. Ron was in the other room. What…

_“Ridd...ridd..”_ Mrs. Weasley was sobbing, trembling from head to toe. Harry blinked, comprehending.

"Mrs. Weasley, should I-"

“What the hell is going on?” Snape shoved past Harry. With a _snap_! , the boggart fixated on Snape, and Ron’s body was gone. In his place stood a burly man, tall and mean looking, wearing Muggle clothing and holding a bottle in one hand.

_“Severus Snape!” the man roared, “You sniveling, miserable piece of shit!”_ Harry watched Snape drop his wand, rooted to the spot.

“Professor, Professor, it’s a boggart!” he tried. Snape didn’t seem to hear him.

_“Disgusting, pathetic excuse for a son,” the boggart continued, raising the bottle in the air and charging at Snape, “I’m going to kill you, and then I’m going to kill your slut of a mother, would you like that?”_

“Somebody help!” Harry yelled, grabbing the back of Snape’s robes and jerking him back. He wasn’t quick enough; Snape threw his hands up as the boggart brought the bottle down, glass smashing over his head and onto the floor. Mrs. Weasley was backed up against the opposite wall, her wand forgotten on the floor. Swearing under his breath, Harry rooted through his pockets for his wand.

“ _Riddikulus_ ,” rang out a calm voice behind him. Lupin pushed past Harry and Snape, wand raised. When the boggart caught sight of him, it snapped into the full moon, which Lupin waved away impatiently.

“What the hell broke?” Sirius asked, following Lupin and heading right for Harry. “Are you hurt?” he demanded as the rest of the group gathered by the door. Mr. Weasley shoved through the crowd and ran to his wife.

“I’m fine,” Harry answered hurriedly, looking over his godfather’s shoulder to meet Ron and Hermione’s worried glances. “Ron, your mum’s okay-”

“What happened?” Hermione demanded. Harry opened his mouth to answer, but then realized no one was paying attention: everyone was looking at Snape, who had shrunk against the wall and looked very, very small. Lupin placed a hand gently on Snape’s arm.

“It was just a boggart, Severus, are you alright?” he asked quietly. Snape flinched as if Lupin had hit him.

“Of course I’m alright, don’t be stupid. Boggarts can’t actually hurt you.” he answered, too loudly. His eyes darted around the room like a caged animal, “Is it gone?”

“Yes,” Lupin answered calmly, “Would you like -”

“I’ve got to go.” Snape interrupted, pushing past Lupin. The crowd at the door parted to let him through. They listened to the sound of his footsteps on the hardwood floor, and heard the front door _slam_ loudly behind him.

**_“HALF BLOODS! MUGGLEBORN SCUM! DEFILING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS AND THEIR FATHERS BEFORE THEM-”_ **

“Shit,” Sirius swore, pulling out his wand and running to shut up his mother’s portrait. The others dispersed, either to return to the kitchen or help silence the portrait. Harry stopped Lupin as he made to follow them.

“Lupin, was that..was that his...what just happened?” he struggled. Lupin rubbed his eyes and sighed, looking very tired.

“Harry, there are many, many things that you don’t know about Professor Snape. That,” he indicated the empty rug where the boggart had stood, “Is one of them. For his sake, let’s leave it at that, alright?” Harry nodded.

“Alright.” he agreed, not happy, but not sure he wanted answers to the questions running through his head. Lupin opened his mouth as if to speak, then changed his mind and gave a half hearted smile. “Let’s get back to the party,” he said after a moment, putting an arm around Harry’s shoulders. Harry leaned into the touch and let Lupin lead him back to the others, doing his best to ignore the knots forming in his stomach.


End file.
